Effects of In vivo versus Simulation-Plus-In vivo training on the acquisition and generalization of grocery item selection by high school students with severe handicaps

In the present study, high school students with moderate and severe retardation were trained to locate 15 grocery items through Isolated In vivo training and Simulation-Plus-In vivo training. Isolated in vivo training consisted of daily instruction in locating 15 target items in a single store located near the subjects' school. Simulation plus in vivo training included training with slides of grocery store aisles and shelves in the classroom plus training in a single store located near the students' school. Generalized responding was assessed through a multiple-baseline design across subjects in three novel grocery stores and validated in a store frequented by the students' families. Results indicate that generalization was more likely when the range of stimulus variation in training examples was expanded via in-class simulations. The results are discussed in terms of procedures for teaching generalized skills and guidelines that can be used by teachers for developing effective classroom-based simulations.